The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, aimed at halting the ongoing Ukraine war, was under preparation. However, the meeting has been postponed, as Russia rejected the immediate ceasefire proposal.
A senior White House official stated that "there are currently no plans for a meeting between Putin and Trump." Although U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a "productive" phone conversation, they deferred a face-to-face meeting.
Last week, Trump mentioned his intention to meet Putin in Hungary to negotiate an end to the war. However, Putin remains unwilling to compromise. Russia asserts that Ukraine must relinquish more territories before ceasefire discussions can progress.
U.S. officials revealed that Russia recently sent a private note reiterating its demand for control over the entire Donbas region, countering Trump's proposal for a ceasefire at current positions.
Russia already controls about 75% of Luhansk and parts of Donetsk. European countries have urged the U.S. to maintain pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire along existing lines.
Trump previously telephoned Putin and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, hoping that a new meeting in Hungary could yield results. However, a preparatory meeting between Rubio and Lavrov scheduled in Budapest this week has also been postponed.
Also Read: Trump Awarded 'Architect of Peace' Despite Missing Out on Nobel
Russia emphasized the importance of implementing agreements reached in a previous meeting in Alaska. They expressed that no new meeting date has been set, requiring "serious preparation."
Many European countries insist that Trump should not meet Putin until Russia offers concessions. A European diplomat remarked, "It seems Russia demanded too much, prompting the U.S. to doubt any deal was feasible at this moment."
European leaders, including those from Britain, France, Germany, and the European Union, support Trump's stance that "the fighting should stop immediately and negotiations should focus on current borders."
The Trump-Zelensky meeting was reportedly tense, with Trump pressuring Zelensky to accept some Russian terms. Despite this, Zelensky later stated that the meeting was successful as Trump publicly backed Ukraine's position.
